Calderwood sports complex, pool "best deal"

By
PHIL McCARROLL

May 15, 2014, 1:14 p.m.

THE controversial Calderwood development could feature a $7.5 million sporting complex, a $3 million community centre and city parks worth more than $3.5 million if a planning agreement between developer Lend Lease and Shellharbour City Council is adopted.

PHIL McCARROLL

THE controversial Calderwood development could feature a $7.5 million sporting complex, a $3 million community centre and city parks worth more than $3.5 million if a planning agreement between developer Lend Lease and Shellharbour City Council is adopted.

If the Voluntary Planning Agreement, which councillors last week voted unanimously to put out for public exhibition, was to be adopted Lend Lease would also be required to contribute $7.2 million towards roads, $7.4 million towards city wide community infrastructure and $2.2 million towards upgrading the Albion Park Library.

Under the agreement Lend Lease would also be responsible for the first three years worth of maintenance to the sporting complex and all parkland with in the development.

The agreement would also see Lend Lease pay development contributions per dwelling on a sliding scale; $3310 for dwellings zero-1000, $3710 for dwellings 1001-2000, $4110 for dwellings 2001-3000, $4510 for dwellings 3001-4000 and $4810 for any further dwellings.

It is expected that when the development is finished it will consist of 4800 homes. In voting to put the plan on public exhibition, councillors expressed the opinion that they had managed to make the most of an unfortunate situation.

‘‘Sometimes you have to realise that things are just about done and dusted and I feel that we’re certainly at the exhaustive stage with this, and while I’m not completely comfortable with everything that’s in the document, I really don’t feel that we’ve got anywhere else to go with what happened with the courts and the process to date and I think our staff have just done an awesome job with this,’’ Cr Kellie Marsh said.

"It’s disappointing that it’s come this far, but we have nobody to thank for that but the NSW Liberal and Labor parties through their ruthless imposition of Part 3A on local government areas,’’ Cr Peter Moran said.

‘‘It’s the best deal we could come up with, I’m prepared to accept it for public exhibition on that basis, it’s probably better this than having... the developer’s court impose a fare less advantageous involuntary planning agreement.’’